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ONLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED ON THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION
SFIMTYNFI
. ,'f
VOL. I tfo. 1
3,^7 3 6>
f)7Q
POLSON, MONTANA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1909
i$S£.
$2.50 PER YEAR
Poison, the Metropolis of the Lower Lake Country
and the Hebron of the Flathead Indian Reservation
The blue oanopy of heaven arches
over a veritable Eden in that part of
the Flathead country between Som-
ei'8, Montana, on the north, and
on the south at Ravalli, Montana,
where the reservation stage line
connects with the Northern Pacific
railroad. -In the valley lie the fruit
and agricultural lands that each
year return to those who work them
vast stores of gold, and these are
bordered on the west by the gracefully undulating foothills of the
Rockies,fabulously rich in coverings
of timber, and on the east by the Mis-
sian range of the same mountains,
with its abrupt and i ugged peaks,
all pregnant with precious minerals
that have never yet been touched
by the baud of man.
In the center of this vastly rich
section lies Poison, the metropolis
of the lower lake country and the
Hebron of the Flathead reservation.
The nucleus of the present little
city now stands on Second street in
the form of a two-room, adobe roof
log cabin, in which the first trading
post was established some 25 years
ago by Harry Lambert. The business passed through successive ownerships and is now known as the F-
L. Gray Co. The city, was named
ten years ago, at the time the post-
office was first created, after David
Poison, one of the first white men
who settled in this section. Mr.
Poison was a Scotchman, and came
into the country some 45 years ago.
He engaged in the stock business,
roaming his herds over the vast
plains of the Mission valley, and at
the time of, his death a few ''years
since bad amassed a considerable
fortune.
To the north of Poison lies Flathead Lake, the largest bi'dy of
fresh water west of the great lakes,
And from the standpoint of scenic
grandeur the most beautiful in the
world. This lake is 35 miles long
and 15 miles wide, covering an area
of 360 square miles. It is divided
into two almost equal parts by the
line of the Flathead reservation,
which after next April will be obliterated. _->„•"' '
For natural advantages the town-
site of Poison can not be excelled
in the entire country. Situated on
a gentle slope, it enjoys a commanding view of the lake, and its lim.it-
■ less dockage facilities.give assurance
that it will be the shipping point for
the farmers, both fruit and grain,
that will occupy both the east and
west shores. The Pend d'Oreille
river, the outlet of Flathead Lake,
runs southwest from Poison an J
gives the city natural drainage facilities that can not be duplicated anywhere in the west.
Beginning at a point within half
a mile of the city and extending for
a distance of six miles are the Falls
of the Pend d'Oreille, destiued in a
short time to produce a power second to none in the west. Were it
destitute of all other advantages,
the development of this tremendous
power alone would make of Poison
a manufacturing city of no mean
proportions. The work of developing this power is now under way,
the reclamation service having a
force of engineers and men at work
on the first unit of a series of dams,
at a point about one mile from Pol-
son. This dam is an auxiliary of a
larger or' main plant that will be
put in at a point about three miles
further south. Some idea of the
vast power that will be developed
can be gathered when it is learned
that these falls, or rapids, have a
drop of about 185 feet to> the mile.
From this source will be generated
electricity for the operation of a
projected inter-urban road to traverse the lower Jake country, for the
lighting of Poison, and for the
operation of numerous manufactories.
From its position as a trading
post Poison has fast developed jnto
a town of great commercial activity,
its merchants and business men being among the foremost to be found
in their various pursuits. At the
present time the city has one bank,
three hotels, four general stores,
three lumber companies, each maintaining large y*rds and one a saw
mill at this place; three livery barns,
three restaurants, drug store, three
barber shops, two blacksmith shops,
hardware store, furniture store, harness shop, two meat markets, cabinet maker, carpenter shop, laundry,
cigar and confectionery store, etc.
In the professions, Poison has three
lawyers, one doctor, one surgeon,
and one surveyor. ;
The Northern Idaho & Montana
Power Co. is constructing a $30,-
000 electric plant in Polsoip. Already the buildings in the city are
wired, poles are up, and the engine
and boilers for the plant are now on
the power house site, at a point on
the lake front a short distance east
of the city. It is thought everything wilbbe in readiness and the
west slope of *the Rocky Mountains
in northwestern Montana. These
lands have long been the home of
2200 Flathead, Kootenai, Kalispell
and Pend d'Oreille Indians, who
have always been noted for their
unswerving friendship for the white
people. These Indians embraced
the Catholic religion many years ago
and are still communicants in that
church.
Some fifty years ago these tribes
claimed all land in Montana west of
the main range of the Rocky Mountains, and the northern part of
Idaho. About that time they entered into a treaty with the United
States by the terms of which they
were allowed to choose certain lands
in this section for a permanent
great plain of Camas Prairie and
the valley of the Little Bitter Root
river. This valley is rather narrow
but has tributary to it some most
excellent bench lands. This upper
or northern portion of this valley is
quite wide and is the dryest section
of the reservation. The United
States reclamation service has under
way plans for the storage of the
waters of this river near its source,
and the installation of the irrigation
system will make these lands very
choice, as their present drawback of
being hot and dry will become a
benefit after the water is conveyed
upon them.
This section is now used for grazing purposes and most of the land
classified as grazing land is in the
sent messengers two thousand miles
to invite missionaries to come and
preach to them a new religion. Two
of the messengers died soon after
reaching St. Louis; What became
of the other two was never known.
In 1835, a Hiroquois named Ignace
made the same journey. After waiting in vain a year and a half for the
expected missionaries, the Flatheads
started a third expedition towards
St. Louis, but all. the members were
murdered by hostile tribes. In 1839
a fourth expedition made the long
and, perilous trip, this time meeting
with success, Father P. J. De Smet
coming here the following spring.
Thus for eight long years did these
children of the Far West labor to
bring the white man into their
VIEW OF THE CITY OF POLSON AS IT IS TODAY, TAKEN FROM THE ROOF OF THE GRANDVIEW HOTEL
-. >
■ ■ mm '^MTw^^-^^m^-
(From photo W Drum of Kalispell)
On its first anniversary The Sentinel will reproduce a similar picture showing the growth of the city in one year.
power turned on within six weeks
or two months.
The best means of judging as i,o
the commercial importance of a city
is tbro^h^cMraparredn^of- jtfs -bank
deposits, and in this regard Poison
makes an exceptionally good showing and one in which it takes a par<
donable pride. Considerably less
than one year ago Mr. C. B. Harris, president of the Kalispell National Bank, opened in this place
the First Bank of Poison. Associated with Mr. Harris in the enterprise was Mr. A. W. Pipes, as
cashier. The bank was started in
February, 1909,. with deposits aggregating 845,000. The business
grew from the start, and in April
the institution was created into a
national bank. At the presenc time
the deposits are just about double
what they were when the bank was
opened six months since, and the
rapid growth of the business has
necessitated the employment of an
assistant cashier, in the person of
Mr. John M. Gordon, formerly of
St. Louis, Mo.—all of which demonstrates conclusively the business
sagacity of Mr. Harris and associates, and the increasing importance of Poison as a commercial
center. The bank is now the First
National Bank of Poison, and C. B.
Harris is president and A. W. Pipes
cashier. The directors are J. L.
Molntire, W. E. Wells, J. J. Ober,
C. B. Harris, A. W. Pipes.
Of the four general stores in Pol-
son the F. L. Gray Co. is .the
pioneer, they having purchased the
original trading post some six years,
ago.' They were followed later by
the O. H. Kakeman store, Ober &
Gregg, and the Carter Cash Store.
The Gray Co. now conducts a large
department store, the firm having
just recently moved into a new
building erected especially, for their
large and growing business.
Three boat companies ply Flathead Lake between Poison and
Somers, two passenger and freight
and one an exclusive passenger line.
The Flathead Lake Transportation
Co., with home offices at Somers,
operate the steamers Montana,
Klondyke and Flyer, and the company has large passenger and freight
docks at this point. The Big Fork
Boat Co. runs the steamer Bigfork,
and the Flathead Navigation Co.
operate the Mary S. and Eva B.
The Flathead Reservation.
The following story of the Flathead reservation will be of interest
not alone to those who were successful in,the recent land .drawing, but
also tpJjhQ'se wbd^may contemplate
the leasing of some of the valuable
lands now held by the Indians:
The Flathead Indian reservation
is a body of land with a total area
of 1,425,000 acres, located on the
home, at the same time relinquish:
ing all other land claimed by themv
to the government; Out of alljctjae^
territory from which they had|«a8
right of fcelexStiftfii they wiselyehose
the lands now comprising what is
known as the Flathead Indian reservation. Until recently, these Indians
have successfully resisted all attempts to open these lands for set
tlement, but they have at last succumbed to the ever increasing land
hunger of the white race, and .in a
few short months the black, upturned sod and the barbed wire fence
will take the place of herds of cattle, horses and buffalo, and the
picturesque conical tepee of the
brave will be succeeded by the
shanty of the homesteader. The
north boundary of the reservation
is about fifteen miles uorth of the
city of Poison, and embraces besides
the rich fruit and agricultural lands
that border the east and west sides,
many valuable islands in the Flathead Lake.
From Poison south to St. Ignatius lies the Mission valley, the
largest body of arable land on the
reservation. This valley is thirty
miles in length and fifteen miles in
width. The soil is composed of a
rich, sandy loam several feet deep,
and is free from alkali and other
deleterious substances. The soil is
of marvelous fertility and strength,
and will yield any northern crop in
profuse abundance.
Just south of Poison is an elevation from the top of which the
homeseeker can view the entire valley stretched out before him in a
splendid panorama. Groups of
horses, cattle, and an occasional
buffalo, can be seen, enriching their
Indian owners by feeding on the
succulent grasses. EaSh stream can
be traced from where it leaveB its
mountain source, across the valley
on itb way to the Columbia, by the
fringes of timber skirting its edges.
To the east the pleased eye is
greeted with the regal splendor of
the Mission range of the Rockies,
covered to the timber line with a
heavy mantle of green trees.
This chain of mountains is especially beautiful even in a country
where scenery is abundant, and several peaks are said to exceed 10,000
feet in height. The elevation of
the valleiy is 2900 feet. Along the
Jocko river, which flows across the
southern part of the reservation in
a westerly direction, is a very narrow valley, the land of which,though
limited in extent, is exceedingly
fertile. The Pend d'Oreille river
bisects the reservation, flowing from
its source at the south end of the
lake in a southwesterly direction to
its point of confluence with the
Clark's Fork of the Columbia.
West of the Pend d'Oreille is the
northwestern part of the reservation. With the exception of this
portion, the reservation is exceedingly well watered ^wjth numerous
streams of pure mountain water,
fresh and cold enough to be drunk
with relish right from the creek on
the warmest summer day. In addition to these streams, most excellent
water can be found at from eighteen
to thirty feet below the surface. The
annual rainfall is fifteen and one-
half inches.
Under the law passed by congress
opening to settlement the lands of
the reservation, the sale of whiskey
within the boundaries is prohibited
for a period of twenty-five years.
Representatives of the Evangelical
churches are ready * to establish
churches as soon as the land is settled. Montana's excellent system of
public schools will be extended to
keep pace with settlement.
Camas Hot Springs.
The Camas Hot Springs are located on Hot Springs Creek about
twenty miles northwest of Poison.
There are several springs, the waters
of which possess remarkable curative powers, especially for rheumatism, blood diseases and alcoholism.
Some of the springs have a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit,
and the waters are strongly impregnated with sulphur and other
minerals; Hundreds of invalids
come here every year to drink these
healing waters and bathe in their
torrid depths. There are two general stores, a hotel and postoffiee at
Camas. The government has reserved a quarter of a section of land
here for the free use of the public.
The location is very beautiful, being at the, head of a little valley
which opens into the valley of the
Little Bitter Root two miles away.
Close by are the pine-clad mountains, from which the crystal waters
of Hot Springs Creek come rushing
over their rocky bed. This is destined to become a popular health
resort,
St. Ignatius Mission.
The first white people to penetrate the Flathead country were the
Jesuit Fathers, and the magnificent
church and schools at St., Ignatiu..
are living monuments of their labor
of love in bringing to the benighted
children of the plains the first news
of a higher civilization. In 1820
the Flatheads' first learned of. the
Catholic missionaries—the "Black
Robes"—from a band of Hiroquois
Indians, who had journeyed west
from Montreal. In 1831 four Flat-
heads undertook to go to St. Louis
for the purpose of- inviting the
priests to come and teach them the
Christian religion. This is probably the only instance in history
where a band of savages, so>called,
midst, suffering great privations and
many laying down their lives in.the
undertaking.
The Jesuit Fathers .established a
mission church and school at St.
Ignatius in 1854. The old wooden
church, bearing a Latin inscription
and the date, 1855, is still standing.
The Ursuline Nuns and Sisters of
Providence came later and established additional schools here for
Indian children. These orders have
large buildings and one of the finest
churches in the state. The government has granted 960 acres for the
support of these eleemosynary institutions.
The Brother In Red.
Of all the Indians who inhabit the
west, those living on the Flathead
reservation are probably the highest in all points of attainment.
Father Lawrence Palladino has this
to say of the Flathead Indians of
today:
"Instead of a warlike, shiftless
people, they are peaceful, kind,
temperate, industrious, and stand in
respectful fear of their Maker.
They read, they write, they till the
soil, have their orchards, their cattle and other domestic animals.
Some live in comfortable frame
buildings; they wear the white
man's garb in large numbers; observe the laws of the land; are comparatively/free from all immoral
practices, And worship God with an
unswerving faith and devotion."
Many Vears ago, Hudson Bay
trappers and traders entered the
Land of the Flatheads and intermarried with the inhabitants. The
numerous mixed bloods, or "breeds"
as they are called, are mainly the
descendants of these Britishers and
French Canadians. Most of the
farming is done by them. Some
are quite wealthy, having large,
well kept farms and herds of live
stock, with good, substantial buildings, supplied with many modern
conveniences and luxuries.
Farming In Flathead.
A story of the Flathead reservation would be incomplete without
some reference to the fertility of
the soil, and the ideal conditions,
climatic and otherwise, to be found
here for farming.
There are already some farms on
tlie reservation, established under
the leasing system by white men,
and also by a few of the more intelligent Indians. The wheatwjrop
for the last few years has averaged
about 175,000 bushels. Tl»e best
criterion for the farming ieiwls- on
the reservation is a consideration of
the results heretofore accomplished
in the Flathead Valley in the viejrf1
ity of Kalispell. -Under the same
system of intensified farming practiced in* the Flathead valley, the
results attained in the Mission and
other valleys of the reservation will
exceed those of the Flathead for the
reason that the soil is of the same
formation, the average rainfall is
greater, and the average yearly temperature is ten degrees warmnr, insuring a longer growing season and
consequently better and larger crops.
The ordinary farmer in the Flathead Valley, with an ordinary season and without irrigation, raises
forty bushels of wheat and sixty
bushels of oats per acre. The highest known yield of wheat was 76.5-
bushejs per acre, and of oats was
128 bushels per acre. Wheat varies
in price from 70 cents to $1.00 per
bushel and oats from ¥1.00 to 81.25
per cwt. The standard weight of
Flathead oats is forty pounds per
bushel and some have weighed as
high as forty-eight pounds per
bushel. ■ ■ .a
Potatoes will yield from 250 to
400 bushels per acre and sell for
about $1.00 per cwt. Clovergrows
easily and in abundance and timo^
thy grows six feet tal.L^ with heads
eight inohes long. i-Alfalfa does
well and yields two apd three crops
per season. Hay selfe at from $12
to $20 per ton and is sold locally to
the numerous logging oamps and
mill operators.
Small grains grow especially fine,
the oats being very much sought
after by the manufacturers of oat
meal breakfast fo6(l products. All
root crops grow easily and to large
size, such for instance; a^., .turnips*
rutabagps^^eXrj^^^Jsiiangeiv'.. w urzol
aiid ■'beets^^ both of - the common
variety and those*vused for manufacture of sugar. Ordinary garden
vegetables such as beans, peas, radishes, lettuce, etc., gro^'';as welljas-
anywhere in the United; States. The
soil is a black, sandy loam, several
feet deep, and as it is very loose
and mellow, it yields readily to tillage and does not bake, pack or
form in hard clods. The land is
rolling and free from stones and
alkali. The geologists say that the
Flathead and Mission valleys were
formerly covered by Flathead Lake,
and the receding waters have left
the two valleys as now outlined,
with their extreme fertility as the
result of the deposits of silts in
former times from those waters.
Striking an average of yields and
prices per acre for the past few
years in the Flathead Valley, under
the supervision of intelligent farm?
ers, the following results are obtained:
Wheat, 40 bushels at 80c. %■ 32.00'
Oats, 70 bushels (2800 lbs.)
at $1.10 per cwt .'". 80.80
Rye, 35 bushels at 50c 17.50
Barley, 50 bushels at 80c .. 30.00-
Potatoes, 300 bu. (10,800
lbs) at$l per cwt 168.00
Though a comparatively new industry in this section of Montana,
it has been amply demonstrated that
fruit growing is one of the most
profitable of pursuits. ~ In the Flathead Valley the average yield per
acre of a good orchard, under intelligent management, without irrigation, and with mature trees, is as
follows:
Apples, 500 boxes at $1 $ 500
Pears, 500 boxes at $1.25 625
Prunes, 720 crates at 75o.... 540
Plums, 720 crates at 75c 540
Peaches, 600 crates at 80c.... 480
Apricots, 600 crates at 80c. ^480
Crabs, 720 boxes at 85c....: 61ss',
Cherries, 19,200 quarts at 8c.. 1520
The above estimate on cherries
takes into consideration an average
of both sweet and sour varieties.
The sweet cherries taken alone will
show a higher revenue.
A|l of the smaller fruits, such as
raspberries, strawberries, currants
and gooseberries, do equally well
and bring iu large returns'.
While the agriculturist of the
lower lake country will bo helped
because of the milder climatic conditions prevalent here, the greater
benefit will bo felt by the fruit
grower in that the iruit will mature
quicker, the yield will be larger,
find the danger of haviug the crop
ruined by killing frosts will be
greatly lessened if not entirely eliminated.
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These images are intended for scholarly/educational purposes, private research, and study. Use of these materials is governed by the Fair Use clause of the 1976 Copyright Act. Written permission may be required for use and/or reproduction from the copyright owner. Please also see the Montana Memory Project's Copyright Statement and Conditions of Use at: http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/about.php

These images are intended for scholarly/educational purposes, private research, and study. Use of these materials is governed by the Fair Use clause of the 1976 Copyright Act. Written permission may be required for use and/or reproduction from the copyright owner. Please also see the Montana Memory Project's Copyright Statement and Conditions of Use at: http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/about.php

■' >. i i" ._ "* "1* i ' < ^.' J \ f* fn 'r ! " ■? 0- Ll, c ■'•' ' ,•* * J t , ' J iitr fl."' " ^ ri '*'!*
f)7Q
POLSON, MONTANA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1909
i$S£.
$2.50 PER YEAR
Poison, the Metropolis of the Lower Lake Country
and the Hebron of the Flathead Indian Reservation
The blue oanopy of heaven arches
over a veritable Eden in that part of
the Flathead country between Som-
ei'8, Montana, on the north, and
on the south at Ravalli, Montana,
where the reservation stage line
connects with the Northern Pacific
railroad. -In the valley lie the fruit
and agricultural lands that each
year return to those who work them
vast stores of gold, and these are
bordered on the west by the gracefully undulating foothills of the
Rockies,fabulously rich in coverings
of timber, and on the east by the Mis-
sian range of the same mountains,
with its abrupt and i ugged peaks,
all pregnant with precious minerals
that have never yet been touched
by the baud of man.
In the center of this vastly rich
section lies Poison, the metropolis
of the lower lake country and the
Hebron of the Flathead reservation.
The nucleus of the present little
city now stands on Second street in
the form of a two-room, adobe roof
log cabin, in which the first trading
post was established some 25 years
ago by Harry Lambert. The business passed through successive ownerships and is now known as the F-
L. Gray Co. The city, was named
ten years ago, at the time the post-
office was first created, after David
Poison, one of the first white men
who settled in this section. Mr.
Poison was a Scotchman, and came
into the country some 45 years ago.
He engaged in the stock business,
roaming his herds over the vast
plains of the Mission valley, and at
the time of, his death a few ''years
since bad amassed a considerable
fortune.
To the north of Poison lies Flathead Lake, the largest bi'dy of
fresh water west of the great lakes,
And from the standpoint of scenic
grandeur the most beautiful in the
world. This lake is 35 miles long
and 15 miles wide, covering an area
of 360 square miles. It is divided
into two almost equal parts by the
line of the Flathead reservation,
which after next April will be obliterated. _->„•"' '
For natural advantages the town-
site of Poison can not be excelled
in the entire country. Situated on
a gentle slope, it enjoys a commanding view of the lake, and its lim.it-
■ less dockage facilities.give assurance
that it will be the shipping point for
the farmers, both fruit and grain,
that will occupy both the east and
west shores. The Pend d'Oreille
river, the outlet of Flathead Lake,
runs southwest from Poison an J
gives the city natural drainage facilities that can not be duplicated anywhere in the west.
Beginning at a point within half
a mile of the city and extending for
a distance of six miles are the Falls
of the Pend d'Oreille, destiued in a
short time to produce a power second to none in the west. Were it
destitute of all other advantages,
the development of this tremendous
power alone would make of Poison
a manufacturing city of no mean
proportions. The work of developing this power is now under way,
the reclamation service having a
force of engineers and men at work
on the first unit of a series of dams,
at a point about one mile from Pol-
son. This dam is an auxiliary of a
larger or' main plant that will be
put in at a point about three miles
further south. Some idea of the
vast power that will be developed
can be gathered when it is learned
that these falls, or rapids, have a
drop of about 185 feet to> the mile.
From this source will be generated
electricity for the operation of a
projected inter-urban road to traverse the lower Jake country, for the
lighting of Poison, and for the
operation of numerous manufactories.
From its position as a trading
post Poison has fast developed jnto
a town of great commercial activity,
its merchants and business men being among the foremost to be found
in their various pursuits. At the
present time the city has one bank,
three hotels, four general stores,
three lumber companies, each maintaining large y*rds and one a saw
mill at this place; three livery barns,
three restaurants, drug store, three
barber shops, two blacksmith shops,
hardware store, furniture store, harness shop, two meat markets, cabinet maker, carpenter shop, laundry,
cigar and confectionery store, etc.
In the professions, Poison has three
lawyers, one doctor, one surgeon,
and one surveyor. ;
The Northern Idaho & Montana
Power Co. is constructing a $30,-
000 electric plant in Polsoip. Already the buildings in the city are
wired, poles are up, and the engine
and boilers for the plant are now on
the power house site, at a point on
the lake front a short distance east
of the city. It is thought everything wilbbe in readiness and the
west slope of *the Rocky Mountains
in northwestern Montana. These
lands have long been the home of
2200 Flathead, Kootenai, Kalispell
and Pend d'Oreille Indians, who
have always been noted for their
unswerving friendship for the white
people. These Indians embraced
the Catholic religion many years ago
and are still communicants in that
church.
Some fifty years ago these tribes
claimed all land in Montana west of
the main range of the Rocky Mountains, and the northern part of
Idaho. About that time they entered into a treaty with the United
States by the terms of which they
were allowed to choose certain lands
in this section for a permanent
great plain of Camas Prairie and
the valley of the Little Bitter Root
river. This valley is rather narrow
but has tributary to it some most
excellent bench lands. This upper
or northern portion of this valley is
quite wide and is the dryest section
of the reservation. The United
States reclamation service has under
way plans for the storage of the
waters of this river near its source,
and the installation of the irrigation
system will make these lands very
choice, as their present drawback of
being hot and dry will become a
benefit after the water is conveyed
upon them.
This section is now used for grazing purposes and most of the land
classified as grazing land is in the
sent messengers two thousand miles
to invite missionaries to come and
preach to them a new religion. Two
of the messengers died soon after
reaching St. Louis; What became
of the other two was never known.
In 1835, a Hiroquois named Ignace
made the same journey. After waiting in vain a year and a half for the
expected missionaries, the Flatheads
started a third expedition towards
St. Louis, but all. the members were
murdered by hostile tribes. In 1839
a fourth expedition made the long
and, perilous trip, this time meeting
with success, Father P. J. De Smet
coming here the following spring.
Thus for eight long years did these
children of the Far West labor to
bring the white man into their
VIEW OF THE CITY OF POLSON AS IT IS TODAY, TAKEN FROM THE ROOF OF THE GRANDVIEW HOTEL
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(From photo W Drum of Kalispell)
On its first anniversary The Sentinel will reproduce a similar picture showing the growth of the city in one year.
power turned on within six weeks
or two months.
The best means of judging as i,o
the commercial importance of a city
is tbro^h^cMraparredn^of- jtfs -bank
deposits, and in this regard Poison
makes an exceptionally good showing and one in which it takes a par<
donable pride. Considerably less
than one year ago Mr. C. B. Harris, president of the Kalispell National Bank, opened in this place
the First Bank of Poison. Associated with Mr. Harris in the enterprise was Mr. A. W. Pipes, as
cashier. The bank was started in
February, 1909,. with deposits aggregating 845,000. The business
grew from the start, and in April
the institution was created into a
national bank. At the presenc time
the deposits are just about double
what they were when the bank was
opened six months since, and the
rapid growth of the business has
necessitated the employment of an
assistant cashier, in the person of
Mr. John M. Gordon, formerly of
St. Louis, Mo.—all of which demonstrates conclusively the business
sagacity of Mr. Harris and associates, and the increasing importance of Poison as a commercial
center. The bank is now the First
National Bank of Poison, and C. B.
Harris is president and A. W. Pipes
cashier. The directors are J. L.
Molntire, W. E. Wells, J. J. Ober,
C. B. Harris, A. W. Pipes.
Of the four general stores in Pol-
son the F. L. Gray Co. is .the
pioneer, they having purchased the
original trading post some six years,
ago.' They were followed later by
the O. H. Kakeman store, Ober &
Gregg, and the Carter Cash Store.
The Gray Co. now conducts a large
department store, the firm having
just recently moved into a new
building erected especially, for their
large and growing business.
Three boat companies ply Flathead Lake between Poison and
Somers, two passenger and freight
and one an exclusive passenger line.
The Flathead Lake Transportation
Co., with home offices at Somers,
operate the steamers Montana,
Klondyke and Flyer, and the company has large passenger and freight
docks at this point. The Big Fork
Boat Co. runs the steamer Bigfork,
and the Flathead Navigation Co.
operate the Mary S. and Eva B.
The Flathead Reservation.
The following story of the Flathead reservation will be of interest
not alone to those who were successful in,the recent land .drawing, but
also tpJjhQ'se wbd^may contemplate
the leasing of some of the valuable
lands now held by the Indians:
The Flathead Indian reservation
is a body of land with a total area
of 1,425,000 acres, located on the
home, at the same time relinquish:
ing all other land claimed by themv
to the government; Out of alljctjae^
territory from which they had|«a8
right of fcelexStiftfii they wiselyehose
the lands now comprising what is
known as the Flathead Indian reservation. Until recently, these Indians
have successfully resisted all attempts to open these lands for set
tlement, but they have at last succumbed to the ever increasing land
hunger of the white race, and .in a
few short months the black, upturned sod and the barbed wire fence
will take the place of herds of cattle, horses and buffalo, and the
picturesque conical tepee of the
brave will be succeeded by the
shanty of the homesteader. The
north boundary of the reservation
is about fifteen miles uorth of the
city of Poison, and embraces besides
the rich fruit and agricultural lands
that border the east and west sides,
many valuable islands in the Flathead Lake.
From Poison south to St. Ignatius lies the Mission valley, the
largest body of arable land on the
reservation. This valley is thirty
miles in length and fifteen miles in
width. The soil is composed of a
rich, sandy loam several feet deep,
and is free from alkali and other
deleterious substances. The soil is
of marvelous fertility and strength,
and will yield any northern crop in
profuse abundance.
Just south of Poison is an elevation from the top of which the
homeseeker can view the entire valley stretched out before him in a
splendid panorama. Groups of
horses, cattle, and an occasional
buffalo, can be seen, enriching their
Indian owners by feeding on the
succulent grasses. EaSh stream can
be traced from where it leaveB its
mountain source, across the valley
on itb way to the Columbia, by the
fringes of timber skirting its edges.
To the east the pleased eye is
greeted with the regal splendor of
the Mission range of the Rockies,
covered to the timber line with a
heavy mantle of green trees.
This chain of mountains is especially beautiful even in a country
where scenery is abundant, and several peaks are said to exceed 10,000
feet in height. The elevation of
the valleiy is 2900 feet. Along the
Jocko river, which flows across the
southern part of the reservation in
a westerly direction, is a very narrow valley, the land of which,though
limited in extent, is exceedingly
fertile. The Pend d'Oreille river
bisects the reservation, flowing from
its source at the south end of the
lake in a southwesterly direction to
its point of confluence with the
Clark's Fork of the Columbia.
West of the Pend d'Oreille is the
northwestern part of the reservation. With the exception of this
portion, the reservation is exceedingly well watered ^wjth numerous
streams of pure mountain water,
fresh and cold enough to be drunk
with relish right from the creek on
the warmest summer day. In addition to these streams, most excellent
water can be found at from eighteen
to thirty feet below the surface. The
annual rainfall is fifteen and one-
half inches.
Under the law passed by congress
opening to settlement the lands of
the reservation, the sale of whiskey
within the boundaries is prohibited
for a period of twenty-five years.
Representatives of the Evangelical
churches are ready * to establish
churches as soon as the land is settled. Montana's excellent system of
public schools will be extended to
keep pace with settlement.
Camas Hot Springs.
The Camas Hot Springs are located on Hot Springs Creek about
twenty miles northwest of Poison.
There are several springs, the waters
of which possess remarkable curative powers, especially for rheumatism, blood diseases and alcoholism.
Some of the springs have a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit,
and the waters are strongly impregnated with sulphur and other
minerals; Hundreds of invalids
come here every year to drink these
healing waters and bathe in their
torrid depths. There are two general stores, a hotel and postoffiee at
Camas. The government has reserved a quarter of a section of land
here for the free use of the public.
The location is very beautiful, being at the, head of a little valley
which opens into the valley of the
Little Bitter Root two miles away.
Close by are the pine-clad mountains, from which the crystal waters
of Hot Springs Creek come rushing
over their rocky bed. This is destined to become a popular health
resort,
St. Ignatius Mission.
The first white people to penetrate the Flathead country were the
Jesuit Fathers, and the magnificent
church and schools at St., Ignatiu..
are living monuments of their labor
of love in bringing to the benighted
children of the plains the first news
of a higher civilization. In 1820
the Flatheads' first learned of. the
Catholic missionaries—the "Black
Robes"—from a band of Hiroquois
Indians, who had journeyed west
from Montreal. In 1831 four Flat-
heads undertook to go to St. Louis
for the purpose of- inviting the
priests to come and teach them the
Christian religion. This is probably the only instance in history
where a band of savages, so>called,
midst, suffering great privations and
many laying down their lives in.the
undertaking.
The Jesuit Fathers .established a
mission church and school at St.
Ignatius in 1854. The old wooden
church, bearing a Latin inscription
and the date, 1855, is still standing.
The Ursuline Nuns and Sisters of
Providence came later and established additional schools here for
Indian children. These orders have
large buildings and one of the finest
churches in the state. The government has granted 960 acres for the
support of these eleemosynary institutions.
The Brother In Red.
Of all the Indians who inhabit the
west, those living on the Flathead
reservation are probably the highest in all points of attainment.
Father Lawrence Palladino has this
to say of the Flathead Indians of
today:
"Instead of a warlike, shiftless
people, they are peaceful, kind,
temperate, industrious, and stand in
respectful fear of their Maker.
They read, they write, they till the
soil, have their orchards, their cattle and other domestic animals.
Some live in comfortable frame
buildings; they wear the white
man's garb in large numbers; observe the laws of the land; are comparatively/free from all immoral
practices, And worship God with an
unswerving faith and devotion."
Many Vears ago, Hudson Bay
trappers and traders entered the
Land of the Flatheads and intermarried with the inhabitants. The
numerous mixed bloods, or "breeds"
as they are called, are mainly the
descendants of these Britishers and
French Canadians. Most of the
farming is done by them. Some
are quite wealthy, having large,
well kept farms and herds of live
stock, with good, substantial buildings, supplied with many modern
conveniences and luxuries.
Farming In Flathead.
A story of the Flathead reservation would be incomplete without
some reference to the fertility of
the soil, and the ideal conditions,
climatic and otherwise, to be found
here for farming.
There are already some farms on
tlie reservation, established under
the leasing system by white men,
and also by a few of the more intelligent Indians. The wheatwjrop
for the last few years has averaged
about 175,000 bushels. Tl»e best
criterion for the farming ieiwls- on
the reservation is a consideration of
the results heretofore accomplished
in the Flathead Valley in the viejrf1
ity of Kalispell. -Under the same
system of intensified farming practiced in* the Flathead valley, the
results attained in the Mission and
other valleys of the reservation will
exceed those of the Flathead for the
reason that the soil is of the same
formation, the average rainfall is
greater, and the average yearly temperature is ten degrees warmnr, insuring a longer growing season and
consequently better and larger crops.
The ordinary farmer in the Flathead Valley, with an ordinary season and without irrigation, raises
forty bushels of wheat and sixty
bushels of oats per acre. The highest known yield of wheat was 76.5-
bushejs per acre, and of oats was
128 bushels per acre. Wheat varies
in price from 70 cents to $1.00 per
bushel and oats from ¥1.00 to 81.25
per cwt. The standard weight of
Flathead oats is forty pounds per
bushel and some have weighed as
high as forty-eight pounds per
bushel. ■ ■ .a
Potatoes will yield from 250 to
400 bushels per acre and sell for
about $1.00 per cwt. Clovergrows
easily and in abundance and timo^
thy grows six feet tal.L^ with heads
eight inohes long. i-Alfalfa does
well and yields two apd three crops
per season. Hay selfe at from $12
to $20 per ton and is sold locally to
the numerous logging oamps and
mill operators.
Small grains grow especially fine,
the oats being very much sought
after by the manufacturers of oat
meal breakfast fo6(l products. All
root crops grow easily and to large
size, such for instance; a^., .turnips*
rutabagps^^eXrj^^^Jsiiangeiv'.. w urzol
aiid ■'beets^^ both of - the common
variety and those*vused for manufacture of sugar. Ordinary garden
vegetables such as beans, peas, radishes, lettuce, etc., gro^'';as welljas-
anywhere in the United; States. The
soil is a black, sandy loam, several
feet deep, and as it is very loose
and mellow, it yields readily to tillage and does not bake, pack or
form in hard clods. The land is
rolling and free from stones and
alkali. The geologists say that the
Flathead and Mission valleys were
formerly covered by Flathead Lake,
and the receding waters have left
the two valleys as now outlined,
with their extreme fertility as the
result of the deposits of silts in
former times from those waters.
Striking an average of yields and
prices per acre for the past few
years in the Flathead Valley, under
the supervision of intelligent farm?
ers, the following results are obtained:
Wheat, 40 bushels at 80c. %■ 32.00'
Oats, 70 bushels (2800 lbs.)
at $1.10 per cwt .'". 80.80
Rye, 35 bushels at 50c 17.50
Barley, 50 bushels at 80c .. 30.00-
Potatoes, 300 bu. (10,800
lbs) at$l per cwt 168.00
Though a comparatively new industry in this section of Montana,
it has been amply demonstrated that
fruit growing is one of the most
profitable of pursuits. ~ In the Flathead Valley the average yield per
acre of a good orchard, under intelligent management, without irrigation, and with mature trees, is as
follows:
Apples, 500 boxes at $1 $ 500
Pears, 500 boxes at $1.25 625
Prunes, 720 crates at 75o.... 540
Plums, 720 crates at 75c 540
Peaches, 600 crates at 80c.... 480
Apricots, 600 crates at 80c. ^480
Crabs, 720 boxes at 85c....: 61ss',
Cherries, 19,200 quarts at 8c.. 1520
The above estimate on cherries
takes into consideration an average
of both sweet and sour varieties.
The sweet cherries taken alone will
show a higher revenue.
A|l of the smaller fruits, such as
raspberries, strawberries, currants
and gooseberries, do equally well
and bring iu large returns'.
While the agriculturist of the
lower lake country will bo helped
because of the milder climatic conditions prevalent here, the greater
benefit will bo felt by the fruit
grower in that the iruit will mature
quicker, the yield will be larger,
find the danger of haviug the crop
ruined by killing frosts will be
greatly lessened if not entirely eliminated.
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